cable damascus

O

O-1 fan

Joined
Jan 10, 2000
Messages
63
how is this done,how do you know how to heat treat it,and is it a fairly easy job.
i`m a big fan of O-1 but any kind of damascus really catches the eye.
oh yeah and where would a guy come across the stuff (cable).
 
In a nut shell, Cable Damascus is created by heating the cable up to a welding heat, and forge welding. I left out alot of specifics like washing out the rust preventatives, degreasing, twisting it tighter, fluxing, etc. You also have to be sure that the cable is not plated, which can be hazardous to your health when heated in the forge
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I posted a letter looking for cable sources few months back. Two who responded were:

Justin Tanner - jtt@afnetinc.com
and
Reggie Barker - rbarker@cbt.net

Also try Don Ferdinand of Wyvern Industries, ask for a catalog (You might want to send him a buck to cover postage!)
Wyvern Industries
P.O Box 1564
Shady Cove, OR 97539-1564.

Also, do some reading. Try "The Complete Bladesmith" by Jim Hrisoulas. Be smart, be careful.

Good Luck & Keep Hammering
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Centaur

[This message has been edited by Centaur (edited 01-11-2000).]
 
Wayne Goddard has a video called (wire damascus hunting knife how to do it)Its a great video on cable damascus.
 
Heya all,

For those who make the cable damascus, what do you use for etching? I'm using diluted muriatic acid right now, and I'm not getting a real good etch. I have some archer etchant that I'm going to try this weekend.

Jamie
a.k.a. Stiletto
 
on my cable damascus i have the best results with 1 part nitric and 3 parts muratic i have used ferric choride before but i get a faster and cleaner etch with the other.
 
what should a guy use for fluxing the cable when i use coal for the fire.and how do you go about degreasing it,and what temp or color phase do i forge at.
thanks 4 the help
O-1 fan


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That which does not kill you, only makes you stronger
 
I've gotten good results using Heinz apple cider vinegar for an etchant.

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Oz

"Never try to teach a pig to sing.
It's a waste of time and it annoys the pig."
-Lazarus Long
Check out my egostistical homepage!
http://www.freespeech.org/oz/
 

I use 1 part archer to 3 water, I burn all the grease out and I use Borax laundry product for a flux. Hope this helps
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KSwinamer
 
Thanks all,
the help is very appreciated and i will keep u posted on my first cable blade.maybe some pics if i can figure how to get them there.

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That which does not kill you, only makes you stronger
 
Test for forging temperature,when a coat hanger will start to stick to the cable, you are at the right temp. Also flux and twist the cable tighter a few times before using a hammer.
 
I have some rusty cable that I want to use. how would i go about cleaning the rust off?would i have to peel apart the strands, wire brush and twist back together?
any help would be greatly apreciated.
 
More often than not you can get a good etch with ferric chloride, a printed circuit board etchant that can be purchased from Radio Shack. I believe it is marketed as PBC Etchant. Mix 1 parts ferric chloride to 3 part water. I also have had the best luck by creating a new batch for each blade rather than using the soulution over and over. I'll try to post a pic here of a blade I did this way.

<img src="http://www.shreve.net/~primos/cdhunter.jpg" width=348 height=229 border=0 alt="Cable Damascus Hunter">
 
Thanks Edward. No, there's no added nickel, it's just plain old cable. This one happened to be a winch cable. The highlights you spoke of are done by lighlty "dusting the tops" with a piece of fine sandpaper wrapped around a piece of steel after the etch. I think it was about 1200 grit in this case. Works real well when the etch is deep.

Personally. I didn't like the knife too much from a design standpoint. The handle is too straight. Sure wish I'd put a little drop in it. The etch came out pretty good though.
 
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